Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-08
A DUCK STORY.
How Old Joe Mason Killed Nineteen
IaIIardS AZ n shot.

Mallards nj shot.
Old Joe Mason does XIII good many
ducks around near town in the course OF
Sa,e season. but seeing him do it Is the only
guarantee of the truth of any of his big
kills that he Gets of on unsuspectins
strangers.
4 few days ago / mot siiH rs | was
walking down Ncwbernc .Hclu6 with a
young theological friend from Boston al
thinking 10 amusc my companion al Joe ;
expense. stopped the old ln6D and asked
him what luck he had had ducking lately.
Common, jes common. MIR. T., haln'
done s0fhin worth talking about. '"'
me6bc Mr,-{ didn't quite catch the name
Mr.. Smith, HAPPY ~ make yer acquain.
tance. sir-mcbSe NJ. smith would like
to try his hand on tie maiIa.i. They're
mighty thick now
The idea Of friend Smith shooting any
ihinF 9yaS rather amusing, so | told Joe
that il Ia you'd name n day ! would try
my hand ;nslesG 6s had not had any
ducking in all this Nin,a-
"All right, said he, and to eth..g ,hot
ilar's some about I'll tell yer what ! did
day 2iorc yesterday. | was down to
Po0les i,Osl in the morning, about day.
and crcpt up i..h.ll that bunch of cat
tails just above the old i.ntpp screw TO see
il there were any duck handy. Ab,4t 200
yafd. up the north side OF the pond there's
biz Whiu ok hangs over the water Gust
bv where yo4 saD' that otter Mr. To-
Ncll, what should 1 80. b. about twenty
m8ilH;d q sWimmin' around "a Alnch
les as close a. ihoy could hUddle, lccdin'
on the acorns ihat lad fell oilcn the oak.
The water amt above nine inches deep
there. and the bottom Is hard, white sond.
"My ole gun II Kill furdcf nor airy
other one in Wake county. but 200 yards
on mallards ducks is rayther fur even fer
hey War, J studied an studied an final
ly crep back iriG The woods away frum
the pond an drew iip. ioai ~ duck Slot
outcn my ole fire stick J tui IA az o.tra
big load of powder and about handful Of
No. 1 buck>hot on the TOP ! dunno how
much hut | do know il were bigger load
than shad ever had down her aforc Then
| crcp bsrt and found The ducks thicker
nor ever. Irlsto4 ila old piece on loo,
about two feet above tho thi l.os' Of the
bunch, and pulled the trigger The ',ind
were a-bloWiu great guns right I'm
my face add blaW the smoke into my eve,
SO ! couldn't ser ruihiD for "a mint
When did get q squint through Tho reeds
l4At 10 ltlA ONtI lfAh Is n ~ us 1 Nae 80 sur
priscd, for them duck was all there jc,'
like aforc ! shot. / wmchcd en- for
while and it looked like they wac II fecdin
foster an diyin' oitcncr than they had
been. They somehow seemed TO look
queer and keep getting lower in the
water till the last blamed one Of en- sunk
clean outer sight. Wal. ] was dumb
sure, bat thought ld 20 Ground
md see what allied en-. When come TO
hc place | seen EN- all flat on the bottom,
stone dead.
"What had killed them. Joe?" i'm
luircd, n. was getting interested, land
why did not thcy ily when YOU shot?'
They didn't fly W,ioa ! Shot, cause the /
wind blew SO they never hocru j.. mn what /
lilled EN- was drowuin, jos droWnu', ,
hats all.
How il thu dickens is a duck going TO
lrown himsclfT ] G,kcd
Easy 'nough; thoy thought them buck /
hot ialiin around en- wa, aucw Kind of T.
corn. and thcy.ic, gobhlcd 'cm up till f.
hey got SO much lead in en- THAT it sunk (
en-, and they was droNnlcd, as ] tell YOU /
There was nineteen on 'cm. and ! hrung I
en- TO town and got - for lhc lot Pretty .
rood haul that, for one shot"